Struggling Habs return home to face Capitals

The Canadiens returned home immediately after Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Red Wings in Detroit and didn’t hold a morning skate Saturday before facing the Washington Capitals Saturday night at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690). There was also no Canadiens media availability Saturday morning.

The Canadiens have won only four of their last 12 games (4-6-2) and have given up 44 goals during that span. They have also lost three straight.

The Canadiens remain in third place in the Atlantic Division, but the teams behind are getting closer. The Toronto Maple Leafs are tied with the Habs with 59 points, but Montreal holds a game in hand, while the fifth-place Red Wings are only three points behind and have four games remaining against the Canadiens this season.

“We have to be better,” coach Michel Therrien told reporters in Detroit after the game. “I really appreciated the team effort tonight. We competed really hard. I certainly thought we deserved a better fate coming out of the first period.”

One player who impressed Therrien was defenceman Nathan Beaulieu, a recent callup from Hamilton.

“That young kid Beaulieu played a solid game,” Therrien said. “When he has been up before, he’s always had a good start, but his game went down. Now, he’s gained in confidence and that’s a good sign for us.”

The Capitals are also struggling, coming off a 2-1 loss to the Devils Friday night in New Jersey. It was the seventh straight loss for the Capitals (0-5-2) and their fifth regulation time loss in a row. The Capitals were playing without captain and league-leading scorer Alex Ovechkin for the second straight game due to a lower-body injury.

Ovechkin took part in the Capitals’ optional skate Saturday morning at the Bell Centre. He’ll be a game-time decision, but it looks like he will play.

Anyone else catch Magnus Nygren’s interview posted today? I read the transcript online. Tough to sift through the translation, but he has some pretty brutal things to say about the culture in Hamilton, both on and off the ice. He makes multiple references to playing in a city with the highest crime rate and unemployment rate, having the glass smashed out of his car’s window, being threatened and otherwise not being allowed to focus on hockey. He goes so far as to say that many of his teammates were more focused with hooking up with girls after the game then playing.

I’m unable to link with my iPad, but I read the interview on habs future on twitter.

The girls part is interesting. Are hot girls a negative distraction or a motivating factor? If the latter is the case we would be much better of moving the team back to Sherbrooke as les jeunes filles Quebecoise there have to be way hotter than chicks in Hamilton, Fredericton or Halifax where the AHL affiliate has been in the past. Just sayin’ with tongue firmly implanted in cheek!

Hey Amigo. Further to our posts on Brett Gallant today, did you see this tilt between him and Joel Rechlicz two months ago? He gives up 6 inches and 41 lbs. to Rechlicz and still gets a draw. Heard they call him “The Badger”. Saludos!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOujI2NXVFc#t=100

At least size on the back end won’t be a problem when those three guys become full time Habs. It’s about damn time!

If Markov agrees to a two year deal I’d resign him. If he wants three or four like is being reported I’d say forget it. It doesn’t thrill the heck out of me that Boone believes Gorges and even Markov are part of the top four for the foreseeable future.

And I thought it was just me? Don’t know if anyone else has noticed or not but Gio has been floating for some time now. Not really the guy you want as captain and setting an example for the rest of your team. He started floating early. His contract isn’t up till the end of the year.

Offer Markov a one year contract and if this is unattainable trade him. Habs will kill him playing all these minutes. Let him finish with a current team with a shot at the cup. With our non aggressive forwards this year the cup is impossible. Pleks should be captain for sure. One of Georges or Markov should not stay. However who is left on defense with experience after Subban? Diaz is fast and clever but needs to be replaced with size and toughness. Murray I like as a fill in as well as the cube, but aren’t they really place holders for the future. Can the team in one week start playing Beaulieau, Tinordi and Patern?

Sholi is right. MB should sit down with Markov after the Olympics. If he does not want to sign a reasonable 2 year deal, then inform him his time as a Hab is coming to an end and if he wants to be traded to a contender. If Jarome Iginla can be dealt, he certainly can be.

This team will have to win by the grind it out style(great goaltending,winning the pk/pp,lots of stress in the zone but goals are limited by great goaltending,blocked shots and a lots of luck and the team scores counter attack goals,fluke goals and bad goaltending goals….This roster is not a goal scoring one ….again who has underachieved so far in scoring goals..reality is it is only Borque…

Eller is definitely underachieving due to not being given much offensive support. Galchenyuk and Gallagher I would say are slightly underachieving and if these players are allowed to play looser will all up their production.

Not sure on this..Gallagher will score 20+ and so would have Galchenyuk…going into the season most people had these two scoring in the 20s..Eller has lots of skill and does many things well but scoring and putting up points beyond 16 to 18 goals and 40 to 45 points is not realistic based on his career. He has mostly been the same type of goal scorer and point producer at every level of hockey……..I hoped he could break out of this mould when he scored his 4 goals or when he had the streak early in the year…For me watching him play he is missing the intangible of how to finish scoring chances either by scoring or passing….

I would sum up the future as follows:
There is not one single blue chip prospect forward in the system who can make an impact in the next three years; not a one (and the top guys are all small)
The closest is maybe Hudon, but he has back problems. Bournival, if he regains his confidence, can become perhaps a decent top nine. The drafting of forwards by Timmins IMO has been pretty overrated.
But…..IT´S NOT a big deal. Within the last four years we have graduated Eller, Pacioretty, Gallagher, and Galchenyuk. These guys are all still growing and are going to become pretty darn good players.
We have 3 good defense prospects out of which I think we can safely get two solid dmen who can make an impact as soon as next year, and that is EXACTLY what the team is missing the most.
A decent GM can find the perenially missing rugged forward who can score on the open market, especially with the very solid cap management of this organization.
So I think the team will be competitive next year; however much will depend on how much of a liability Markov becomes 5 on 5 and how quickly our D prospects mature.
I also believe we can recover this season, but to do so: we have to stop the current slide fast, Emelin will have to find his game after the Olympic break, Markov will have to avoid being gassed by season´s end, and either Beaulieu continues to play well or we get some help at the deadline. Not done deals, but quite doable.

I don’t think we are as bad as our recent record would suggest. That said, we are not great either. If we ever hope to be great, we need to effectively manage our assets. I can’t foresee a scenario that involves Gio back next year. If we could move him for a pick or prospect, it will only help us get to that next level quicker. I’m not for blowing the whole team up, but among our pending UFA’s there is nobody this team needs to retain, including Markov.

I would look to move Markov and Pleks, and anyone of the veteran players, to a playoff team looking to run deep in exchange for a promising youngster with size. I think Eller/Chucky/Briere are our 3 centers starting next year, if DD is thrown into the package. I think a team with size that is looking for a spark plug to insert in a 3rd line/PP role may consider DD now that he has started to gain some traction.

Trading Plekanec would be the worst decision this team could make. As stated many times he is UNDERRATED. Teams typically give up key pieces for overrated players, big name players etc… You aren’t going to get what you think you might for a quiet guy that keeps his head down and just does his job. I was at the Joe last night and Plekanec is the only Canadiens player who didn’t look out of place.

Trading your best player isn’t going to help you win any quicker especially when Pleks is pretty much the embodiment or what you want your young forwards and hell even your defense to become. I know I know… But Subban is the best… Nope not even close. He’s really only as good as his last dumb mistake which you don’t have to think back tOo far at any given point in the season to recall.

Plekanec may be underrated, but he is not without his flaws. He is not a great playmaker or passer (Desharnais is better than him in this regard); he is a decent shooter but not elite; he is not a particularly good puckhandler, especially in close; he isn’t a faceoff expert; and he is prone to soft play.

Yes, he brings a lot to the table with his skating and smarts, but you have to acknowledge that he is a 50-60 point player who is moving into the latter stages of his career. They might be able to get just as much or more for him 1 year from now, but I am not sure he is with the Habs beyond this contract….

I think lots of the Habs problems were not bad off season pick ups by MB or the suddenly lost coaching skills of MT but the amount of last years players not playing up to their play from last year. I’d posted about Eller & Prust and another poster replied it’s not just 2 players and he was right. It`s almost the whole team is down in scoring from last year. Pretty easy to check as right now we`re at about the same time as last season ended. Except for Bourque almost everyone is one or two goals or assists down from their totals last year. Problem no one is up from last year production totals (even the Gally`s are just slightly down from last year so no real sophomore slump). Just everyone from last year down a bit and no one has picked up the pace.

You can’t score if you never have the puck. You see puck possession, just like ball possession in soccer and football is the key to success, the key to scoring, and the key to limiting scoring chances against.

We don’t keep the puck. We give it away. We dump it. We chase after it. We lose battles. We lose races to retrieve the puck.

I checked all the forwards from last year to this year and their goal totals are virtually the same but all down 1 or 2 goals or assists. Did not count Ryder so there would be a difference Ryder vs. Briere. Also was it not about 10 games before the season we went 4-5-1 last year. Looking just like last year.

We lost those goals. Bourque is not playing well this year and he was last year, and Gio has declined this year too. We also lost Diaz’ offensive contributions for some reason. Many players who helped chip in last year have not done so this year.

She’s been putting like that for the better part of a year. She is a mess on the greens. Most hyped golfer since Ty Tryon. I think she has 1, maybe 2 professional wins. This after declaring she was going to win the Masters. She seems like a great gal, but she is the Alexandre Daigle of professional golf.

However looks much better than Alexander. Was put in a bad situation by her parents letting her play in a PGA event at what 15. Also the expectations at 15 that you will be the best ever female golfer would put enormous pressure on anyone.

Make all the fantasy trades and promotions you want but until MT allows this group to play their game, or at the very least not his dumbass “dumb and chase”, we really don’t know exactly what personnel are required and who should be moved. Bringing in any other players or dumping any of the existing players, yet continuing to play the foolishness MT has them playing will change nothing.

No doubt MT has presided over the club playing some bad hockey, but he has also had them playing some great hockey, and the latter way more so than the former. I understand it’s easy to blame the coach and pin the problems on him, but it’s false to say we can’t evaluate what kind of players we need before getting rid of his system.

It’s more likely that the new system is a result of the tools we have rather than an inverse relationship. We started the season off well but our scoring and physicality never really continued past November. It’s likely injuries, slumps, and just general decline of players has taken its toll on guys we need to perform. Prust is having an off year, Gionta is too, let’s not even talk about Bourque or the D. This has resulted in the team needing to play a more conservative style because A) it does not have enough scorers, B) it’s not physical enough, and C) it’s not good enough defensively to support a more free-skating style. Open up the ice and we are even more exposed, yet we will still lack goal scoring.

I don’t like the conservative and safe system we are playing because I agree it is not our style but at the same time we are missing the necessary tools to go back to what made us successful.

One thing about this slump is that it has made the personnel gap obviously clear, and the lack of a certain type of asset is not MT’s fault nor does he need to leave to elucidate that.

Last season, and early this season, we had players playing the way we need them to in order to play our game – Eller was scoring, the kids were scoring, we were playing a fast game. Eller stopped scoring, the other line picked it up, but we never got more scoring. The team’s problems were never addressed adequately and we had to revert to a defensive system because there’s not much else we can do at the moment, and that’s the reality.

I agree. MT habit of switching the lines around every game and then playing players in awkward positions doesn’t make sense. MB went out and signed Briere because he thought he could help with offense. Briere is a center, so MT plays him on the wing on the 4th line. the year starts off with the EGG line on fire so MT breaks them up. Eller and Chucky are centres so MT plays them on the wing. Bournival is a sniper, so he puts him on the 4th line. Really the guy doesn’t seem to know what he is doing. Maybe it was too big a step to move from being a know-it-all analyst on RDS to being a coach in the NHL. Maybe MB could hire PK Stock to take over. he knows everything too.

It’s clear to all who look at reality with any bit of objectivity that the Habs are not looking like a very good team right now. That said, I do not believe that things are as bleak as some here opine. Before the Emelin injury last year, the Habs were looking like a pretty good hockey team and one that could compete with the best in the league. (They beat Boston, the eventual Stanley Cup Finalists, 3 out of 4 times.) Clearly, the Emelin injury was devastating for the Habs D and for the team as a whole and he is clearly not the same player yet as he was pre injury. With a healthy Emelin in the lineup and Beaulieu making progress in adjustment to the NHL, I think the Habs are a much better hockey club and not as far away from contending as some would think. Not elite, but stronger and better and as the excellent article about Ray Ferrarro’s take on Emelin pointed out it takes a year or more to fully recover from knee surgery and Emelin will get better as his knee gets stronger and the Habs will too. Do they need some bigger, more quality forwards, sure, but even without them they are better when healthy than they are playing right now.

I don’t think trading some of our vets with market value is gong to help at all. does anyone here seriously want to have a team like buffalo for years to come? look how many high picks Edmonton has & they still suck.
mb is being patient. fans ought to grant him the time to get it right. i’ll leave it to mb & his team to decide when the time is right for pateryn & tinordi to come up for good. I’d rather wait then screw them up. in the meantime, we have some probs that we’re going to have to live with. I could see letting gio go since he’s a ufa next year. diaz too – he may have some decent market value esp if he does well in the Olympics. once our dmen prospects mature, I’d be happy to see georges go. small defensive dmen who can’t score are a liability. if beaulieu can play consistently, then markov (ufa) is also expendable. geez, can he ever skate. briere is done for certain after next season & he’s just depth for now. it’s lousy but at least he’s only got a year left.
I don’t think I want mt fired mid-season either. look what happened when martin got canned. that was awful.
it’s not all bad. we have a good core of younger players who are going to be good for years to come & some of them are dynamic.
the team is slumping right now. it happens to the best of teams. be patient. they’ll get it straightened out.

Hate to say it, because it means we’re not as far along as hoped, but those who said that we would have fallen out of a playoff spot last season had it been a full season appear to be right.

I don’t see the Habs playing this bad for the rest of the year, but there are obviously major problems with the roster we ice, and those are preventing us from being competitive in a consistent manner. I don’t want to get into the coaching aspect because it’s over-played, and either way the biggest problems lie with the players we have.

We need to get rid of Bourque, Gionta, Briere and Cube. We may need to cut bait with Parros, Murray, and Diaz as well. On top of that, we need to add some more size and scoring, but in more effective packages than Murray and Parros. Trying to acquire Moulson and Kane would be ideal. I trust MB is actually looking to make some moves, but it’s important he doesn’t rush anything just because of this terrible slump.

Lastly, it’s time Beaulieu and maybe LL were given a long-term gig, but AFTER getting rid of the deadweight so we can actually give them ice-time.

All in all, the Habs have a good core of players and with the right moves they can make a big jump in the overall ability of the team.

Why are some posters still talking about last years 2nd place finish like it was something special? Short season..end of story. If anybody cares to remember, our Habs finished the season like a cripple and limped into the playoffs..then got humliated in defeat. Same crap this year, except that this season is a regular one. Our Habs wouldn’t have made the playoffs last year in a 82 game schedule. The team is still way too small, even with the upgrades. The Habs D is terrible, P.K. has not played well since before Christmas, Markov is an old man whom I hope MB doesn’t resign, but I’m sure he will. The other guys are spare parts that most likely wouldn’t break another teams roster. I assume that “Chucky” is the teams MVP because I don’t believe our Habs have garnered a point since he got injured. What does that say about the vetran leadership on this team? Is the white flag waving high above Centre Bell? If not, it should be.

Seven games without Galchenyuk and 4 points, both OT wins. That means they gave up 12 points of the 21 points up for grabs. Took four for themselves and five were left on the table.

Their troubles started long before Galchenyuk got hurt but they miss him because he has good hands and goes to the net. They have no one to replace him which brings them down to a one line team and nine checking forwards. If the one line doesn’t produce they are done. To top it off DD is not known for his stellar defensive play being usually a step behind and four feet out of reach. That means the one line is a defensive liability.

But that is what it is. Can’t change that. They either win 1-0, 2-1 in OT, or they lose. They try as hard as they can but they are a declining team, not at all an ascending team. It is amazing what these guys have done so far with so little.

Love when the team starts struggling some people say to trade Plekanec who is the only one that has still played decent during this slump. Also, why is everyone seem 100% sure Galchenyuk will excel in this league, sure MT is not helping his development but i do not see the skill that other players like Barkov, Nichuskin, and many other youngsters are showing. Sure, he may be great but has not shown many signs of it yet.

He is 19. Chucky could have played in the WJC this year and would have dominated against his own age group. People are excited about this prospect because he has both the tools and the desire to be a superstar. Mind you, he will need capable line mates, but all signs indicate that he could be a very strong player in this league.

Galchenyuk has more offensive skill than anyone on this team right now, and he is only 20. He plays with good intensity and when he matures physically he will be very difficult to contain. He is mentally strong and well spoken. The first blue-chip offensive prospect I have seen the Habs draft (or have) in, well, probably in my 32 years…

obviously you have a hard on for pleks and rightly so. he has been a good player on this team for many years now but instead of holding on to him and getting little in return when hes in the twilight of his career, might as well capitalize on what he can bring in now while the team is rebuilding and doesnt appear to be going anywhere but down.

They are supposed to be teaching winning. That’s why I asked the question. You asked me which players are better than Plekanec. I responded by telling you that short term there might not be a better fit, but long term the right Plekanec deal might address other weak spots that would help Eller, and Galchenyuk excel. How about Plekanec to Chicago for Saad, or Leddy, and a pick? How about Markov to Washington for Alzner? Why can’t you respond to my question. What have these players won? Blaming all the players before them is not the answer.

Just saw that. I haven’t seen him enough this season to comment on his game, but I recall him being tough as nails. I recall him having some off ice trouble, but that’s dated information now. I can’t see him going unclaimed.

I remember him being fairly good at some point. In truth, I’m remembering his play from a while ago, and not this season, but I don’t know if there’s much that could make this team worse, to be honest.

Dunno about his chance. He is forced to either play on the wing or in a defensive role. He doesn’t get pp time, his good wingers were taken away and hr plays with plugs. He doesn’t get preferential treatment like dd

I agree! The team has to sacrifice everyone else just to get him going. Imo its not a coincidence that the year he was our #1 center we finished last and we are playing awful again this year with him as the #1

I like Pleks, and Marky, but the time has come to move them. They have been part of this same script for too many years. Not that they cannot be valuable contributors moving forward. It’s just how many times can you go through the “great start, mid-season collapse” scenario and not be held accountable as the “LEADERS” of this team? The team needs a change in culture. That starts with the leadership group. These two have been around for a long time with little to show for it. They would yield a great return, and allow for a new leadership group to emerge.

Gionta would also provide some value in a trade, but moving Bourque, Diaz, Gorges, Murray, Moen, and Boullion would simply result in a “your problem, for mine” trade.

The new leadership group must begin with Subban, Price, Pacioretty, Gallagher, Galchenyuk, and Beaulieu. Think Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Young teams with young leadership groups!

It is because the future is with Galchenyuk and Eller, not DD and Pleks. Bournival could take the 3rd line centre spot. Pleks has the most value to get the Habs something they really need, a 2nd pairing right handed defenceman like Wisniewski, or a true left wing power forward. No one is saying he is not valuable, just more so in a trade.

That’s not the point. Both Plekanec and Markov still have great value. They are valuable to the Habs as well, but this franchise is in a very disturbing repeat pattern that Pleks and Marky know very well. They have been key pieces of this team, and have never shown the ability to help change this pattern. Ultimately, as an organization you have to realize that you need to move forward and make CORE changes. If the team was on the cusp of winning a championship these two players would make significant additions. The painful reality is that this team is not in that position.

Pleks needs to be moved. Eller needs to play centre so the franchise can see who he is. Galchenyuk needs to play centre so the franchise can see who he is. To help these two succeed we need to surround them with the right talent. That means trading Pleks, Gio, or Markov for some young talent.

True. That is the repeating pattern. Never trade our “most underrated players in the league” because you’ll never find better. You have to take the leap at some point. I’m tired of seeing the same story lines every year. It’s the coach (Julien, Carbo, Martin, Therrien, slot next name here). It’s the GM (Savard, Gainey, Bergevin, slot next name here). Again, I like Pleks and what he brings every night, but it’s time to move him for MORE!

We all know the Habs are rebuilding and that there are no shortcuts. Draft well, develop your players, and when you have enough depth in your system, use some of your picks and prospects to fill holes. I’m hoping that after one more good draft, the Habs will have enough depth to start doing this.

But I think we could speed the rebuild up this season by abandoning the attempt to make the playoffs, since it is becoming increasingly clear we won’t win even a round and are simply not competitive with the elite teams. Bergevin should be a seller at the deadline. Trade as many impending free agents as possible, and try to move those veterans who are not part of the long-term core. This would include Gionta, Diaz (who has not been the same player since his concussion early last season), Gorges (who should be able to be replaced soon by Pateryn), Bourque if there are any takers, Brière, even Markov (who will certainly be well past his best by the time we become contenders).

These moves would deepen our prospect pool. At the same time, our young players should be playing their natural positions and getting more ice-time than some of them are. Bournival, for example. What can he learn or contribute playing a few minutes on the fourth line? When Galchenyuk returns, play him at centre; let him work out his faceoff difficulties and learn to assume the responsibilties of a centre. Put Beaulieu with Subban and give him lots of ice-time. Bring up Pateryn and maybe Tinordi as well.

Do the same thing next year. Instead of giving roster spots to aging free agents, play the kids. If we miss the playoffs again, not only will we have a higher draft pick (maybe even win the Connor MacDavid sweepstakes), but the young players will be learning to play at the NHL level; and there will still be enough veterans on the team to provide leadership.

Very well written. I agree with everything you said. I would include Pleks because he would fetch a good return, then they could as you say, let the young kids play in their natural positions. Eller, Galchenyuk, and Bournival on the 3rd line.

I’ll add to this by saying that I think they could move some players (assuming there were takers) and be even better.

Gorges could be moved and it wouldn’t hurt the skill set on this team. It would maybe impact the locker room, but his spot could be filled by Beaulieu, Tinordi, both of whom would likely present an upgrade in many respects. Hell, even if they faltered, Murray or Bouillion could play it on a temporary basis and not be a huge step down. You might not get more than a mid-round pick, but every one counts.

Plekanec is great and I love parts of his game, but if he brought a piece that was a significant upgrade at a weak position, that might offset what you would lose by running Eller in his spot. Eller is no Plekanec, but if – for example – the return was a tough top-six RW, that might be better than the status quo.

Barring some kind of miracle from heaven, Briere and Desharnais are pretty much stuck here. I cannot imaging a team wanting either of those contracts until at least March of 2015.

Anyone else out there a bit impressed with Louie this time around?
Skates well , hard on the puck.
Would love to see him get more than 6 minutes.
Would love to see him with Eller and Bourque.
Can’t be worse than the other lines.
Can’t have DD and Danny at center.

Prust is not the same player this year as last. Perhaps he’s playing with an injury but 2 goals and 1 assist since Nov 22nd is not 3rd line material. I liked the aggressive way Prust played last year but this year he’s not playing the same.

Habs are still third in their division. Some wins at home and a good effort in Boston will quickly change perception (look at TO). Anyway, MT is not getting fired until the end of the season. MB does not seem to be a “knee-jerk” type of guy.

Do you honestly believe that a GM who has been preaching stability and patience will fire a coach that he hired less than 100 games ago when this same coach brought a 15th place team to the 2nd place and 4th place (at least for now) the next year?
Listen, I am no fan of MT’s but at the very least, he is finishing this season in Montreal, regardless of what happens tonight or until the end of the season for that matter. So i wouldn’t be holding my breath if I were you. A couple of roster moves on the other hand are not as unlikely.

Therrien is not the problem. Fire him if you want it won`t change anything on the ice and on the scoreboard and then we will want the next one to be fired and so on and so on as it has been for way too long. Let`s just hope that Bergevin makes some trades sooner than later but making deals because you are pissed or not making some because you are happy is never a wise way to do business.

He may not be the problem. But does it really matter. If he isn`t and MB knows it he will ride this out. Assuming he has integrity. But I do know MB won`t fire himself and he won`t fire 20 players. Let`s hope this ends tonight. The team has been in the mix since Therrien took over but things change so quick. MB hasn`t faced a disgruntled fan and media base at this point in his career. And you have to wonder how he will deal with it.

Pffft. Therrien is on contract for one more year and the Habs could lose every game until it expires and he’d still finish his stint as coach. The problem isn’t the coach. The problem is the Habs don’t have the fire power or net presence to score goals. That and what was once a team capable of playing a good solid team defence game has turned into a comedy of errors in their own end. The only thing holding this team above water at the moment is Price’s brilliance in nets.

The problems are glaring.

Gionta: must not be resigned. Thankfully this is his last season. Hopefully the Habs can trade him for a pick come trade deadline.

Briere: MB’s worst signing to date. A non-entity and a too small player on a team with too many small players.

Desharnais: if this is your 1st line centre your team truly sucks. He’s shielded, protected and given every opportunity to succeed yet he is a one dimensional player and far too small on a team with too many small players.

Markov: sadly it seems the Habs will resign him to a huge contract rather than have the cajones to trade him come trade deadline.

Gorges: a good heart and soul guy. Would take a bullet for the team. But he is at best a 3rd pairing D and he is played and paid like a top 4.

Diaz: has potential but isn’t looking like he’ll realize it as a Hab. Not physical at all and is redundant on a team with Subban on it and Beaulieu in the pipes. Not too mention a team that has Markov.

The other problem is the Habs haven’t one top line forward in the system to speak of and are too prone to signing useless beyond their best before date and over paid veterans that offer nothing and only teach the kids that being complacent is a sure ticket to a huge pay check.

The other thing haunting this team is the Gomez trade and Gainey’s disastrous foray into free agency. That trade has set the team back a decade and still painfully hurts to this day. Imagine McDonagh on this team. Of course the whole Gauthier debacle didn’t help either.

Beauty. That about sums it up. I’m a bit of a Gainey apologist, but you can definitely still see the effects of the Gomez trade and the Cammalleri and Gionta signings.

The DD extension could have a similar impact if it prevents them from developing other centres like Galchenyuk and Eller, and Gorges is taking up space that could probably be filled by someone with more potential.

I love Markov, but if they sign him to big deal, it is gonna clog up the D more than it is already. If they do, they might as well move one of their prospects, because I’m not sure who would take Gorges contract, or even Emelin’s at this point.

I certainly echo both comments. I do think we are growing some forward depth, but we are still 2-3 years away. Our defence pipeline has finally begun to yield results. Another big draft would certainly help. The key will be acquiring additional picks. Even if we were to suddenly go on a 5 game winning streak, I’d still suggest that we exit the players mentioned above. We are simply too small.

Keep an eye on tom Wilson tonight. He certainly wasn’t a first rounder IMO, but the kid makes waves each time he touches the ice. I’m hoping either Crisp, Nevins or McCarron can be this type of player.

Anyone have some insight into the play of Tanner Pearson, 30th overall LA Kings, 2012. Left wing, shoots right? 6 ft, 205, played for Barrie Colts and now is scoring in the AHL, 13 goals, 12 assists in 31 games.

Could we trade Markov for a guy like that who might very well make our team better next year?

I think the league should contract to 24 teams but you know they’re going to expand to 32, thus watering down the skill and talent level. It’s one of the reasons they won’t ban fighting altogether. At least the fans get some kind of entertainment with the staged and meaningless tilts.

I guess at this point it is obvious how weak our team looks and how many holes we have to fill.
Hope management could view our team as sellers.
Since so many teams improving it may be a seller’s market.
Markov could be prime bait A few contenders and bubble teams with very weak PP’s – L.A.,Dallas, Van,Car, Det to name a few.
It would be great to get an early pick from 2011-2013 drafts ( like we did with Eller).
Give Beaulieu a chance with PK on PP.

If the Habs lose the next two games then I would not mind MT pulling a “Hartley” in Boston. Bring up Tinordi and Tarnasky and start them with Prust, Parros and Murray. It seems that this team needs some sort of shock to wake them up. Anyway, the Carolina game will be interesting. After getting embarrassed last time in Raleigh, if they don’t clobber them it will be worrisome.

And you figure Boston would not see the circus coming up ? Also you must stop thinking about Tinordi as a fighter. He can protect his mates and himself but should not be compared with carreer fighters. And the game after ? And the other one after ?

I understand the idea but there will be no miracles . We have to deal with what we have and what we do not have and hope for a few changes sooner than later but even then …

Of course they would see it…who f#@@!%g cares? The point is to change the mentality of the players and go to war…shake them up…try something different. If guys would not respond to that on the road, then you know the team is in deep trouble.

Gorges for captain would be almost as bad as Ference in Edmonton. If he wants to be the cheerleader in the dressing room that’s fine… But not the C . I agree with other posters stating Pleks should be the next captain.

no point making someone a captain who easily could be one of the vets that end up getting traded. Everytime I hear PK interviewed, he strikes me as captain material. Wise and mature beyond his years. Speaking of which, he had a tête à tête yesterday with MB. Contract talks?

Listen I love PK but he really is not ready to be a captain. Gotta think Plekanec is the front runner for the C. However, if they make Josh Gorges the captain I will go nuts. There is also a chance Gio gets signed…

There’s help coming along the pike but some of it is more than a year away… I guess trading Gorges depends on whether Markov is moved or resigned. And Diaz. Not to mention Bouillion and Murray. Can’t scuttle all the blueline experience all at once…

Yep. Some legitimate toughness is definitely lacking. Prust is not playing with his usual edge. Gotta wonder if he is permanently damaged, or if he is just going through the motions because of how he is being used (or not). Whitey is missed on that 4th line as well. Moen can throw, but generally speaking the Habs have a a few reluctant tough guys and a bunch of softies. It’s not the be all and end all for a hockey team, but when it comes down to who pushes harder physically (and it often does), the Habs are gonna be the ones looking up more times than not…

I have been a fan for the past 45 yrs, watched many cup championships along with my daughters who are also hab fans. We fans have been through some tough times. Seems we have been rebuilding for 20yrs now and yes we have some pieces to build on. Lets take a step back for a moment, Patches yes he can score and yes he’s a big body but he’s not a power forward, doesn’t drive to the net, doesn’t hit and does not protect Gally at all. In order to get a pwoer forward you need to give one up, Patches for Evander Kane both can use a change of scenery, yes we take more $ back but we gain more toughness. Are we going to win in the next few yrs? Unlikely therefore the panel raves about Pleks what can we get for him to speed up the rebuild, the same should be done with Marky. These are very good pieces that can be swapped for very good players. the othere players everyone seems to want to ged rid of, well is there a market for them, highly unlikely or maybe a few 5th round pics.

I have to agree with you. Patches is more of a sniper then anything else. Getting bigger is a must. People here live in a dream world. But Kane is a risk player. All he has proven up ill now is he does not get along with coaching staff….

Patches I like, but look what the panel suggest Edmonton do trade Eberly to get a good return. That player on the Habs is Patches, as stated before he’s a snipper that’s hot and cold, when cold he doesn’t contribute and I think he’s a little selfish.

As long as you can deal with our former players thriving in an environment that they can achieve their potential. When the guys are slotted into places on other teams they will relax and do well. Markov ,Plex or Patch on very good teams will succeed.

I was checking out The Hamilton BullDogs. If this is the Habs future. It’s on a dimmer switch. Not very bright. Maybe two or three NHL 3rd liners The rest all 4th liners. Not good. MB had better take a long look at seasons end to see What NHL calibre Players are available to improve this team. I would keep the following unless I could replace them with a better player or players. PK, Price, Pleks, Pacioretty, Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Eller the rest gotta upgrade. The farm system I’m afraid won’t cut it!! Stanley cup ??????. Making the playoffs will be their challenge for the next 10-years.

They were talking about Markov’s TOI yesterday and said something interesting: he is playing far more now than when he was 25 or 30…maybe that’s part of the problem. I remember last year saying it would be nice to have him on the 2nd pairing, along with Subban and a solid and large stay at home D for a 1st pairing…never envisioned that would turn into Murray though. ;-D

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Me skull and crossbones arn’t the only thing I plan on raisin’ tonight.

“”It’s absolutely great when the community gets behind the team,” the club said in a statement to Global News. “It’s the kind of thing that can start traditions like the playoff towels. We love this gentleman’s passion but he was using the likeness of a member of the Canucks to generate personal profit so we unfortunately had to ask him to stop.”

BTW the Habs made the playoffs with this guy and NOT Markov. People need to relax. The Habs are not DOOOOMED if Markov is traded. A good GM adjusts accordingly and moves on. The right side of the D, after Subban, is a joke. The best RH D-man now is Beaulieu…c’mon…wake up MB.

Disagree. In the midst of hard hitting hockey players drop the gloves. What was he supposed to do after that hit? Turtle? Anyway, the point is that Wiz brought an attitude to the team. He was also fantastic on the PP with PK. This team can live without Markov if the GM does his job.

Before the Habs signed Markov instead of the Wiz I posted numerous times that Wiz was a better choice as he was younger, much tougher and meaner than Markov. Before I even look at your thread It’s probably after Wiz boarded a Bruin and fought the 1st Bruin to come at him even as it was his first game back from wearing a cage from a facial injury.

I think The Goat or BG signed Markov. We can’t blame MB for that one , however we could have been more aggressive during free agency unless MB thought some of the Kids from the Dogs were ready to step up and are perhaps a year behind schedule.

We cannot build this team through trades. It’s time to go with the youth that we’ve drafted. We can’t do much worse. I’m not an advocate of “the tank” but being mediocre with older veterans does not accomplish much and just puts you in a weaker situation vis a vis your future draft positions. Due to the Pollock legacy, no GM wants to be the guy who gives Montreal a good young player for table scraps. All we will ever be able to trade for are the Gomezes, Giontas, Coles, Bourques and Boullions of this world and we’ll give up valuable assets to get them. It’s long passed time to go with the players we are developing and win or lose with them.
As for the veterans? Since no GM is going to give us good young roster players for them (this is where some trades might help) trade for the best draft picks available, rinse and repeat.

I am one of the biggest Markov fans, but I honestly believe that it would be a mistake not to trade him before the deadline.
At this point in his career and considering the minutes he is expected to play in Montreal, his play will only decline past the 50 game mark of the regular season, and it will not get any better in the next few years. I think we are just witnessing how bad he has been in his own end for the last 7 games or so.
If he resigns in Montreal, it won’t be for anything less than $ 6M for three years, which in my opinion is money better spent on a star forward. Markov’s void can be filled by playing Beaulieu and signing a top 4 D in the off season.
If we can get a promising young (MOAR BIG) winger for him in a trade, it would do us more good in the long run.

Must be tough to be a GM. Markov can’t play 25 minutes a night anymore but your PP can’t function without him and your team can’t score 5-5. Yet if you trade Markov you don’t solve the problem of perimeter play but the team you give him away to will likely win the Cup. I count at least six teams with weak PP on the cusp or barely in playoff position right now whose PP could double it’s by loading Markov into the left point on their PP. He may well be the most valuable player available this year but if you move him rather than re-sign him you’re likely looking at two more years of very low standings.

fine, but his value is greater to another team than to Habs right now, and Habs won’t be contenders with him or without him. I think Habs need you as trade negotiator. Tell the potential partner that they will probably win the cup with him and we expect substantial return for that

As weak as our defence is it is hard to play defence when you have no offence.
Our team rarely takes the lead and rarely scores on the PP.
That is our only way to succeed.
Our ” first ” line is absolute crap.
Our first line center – in spite of his offensive zone ” wizardry ” -saw that on last thread- has 18 goals and 35 assists = 53 points in his last 96 games.
Contrast that with Lars “no PP time” Eller who has 18 goals and 32 assists = 50 points in his last 97 games.
Getting DD going was everyone’s priority – but I think it has really taken its toll on Gally and Lars.
As long as he is on this team we will not succeed because he can do nothing else.
Unlike Lars and Pleks DD cannot check or kill penalties. He eats up top minutes and top wingers.
Other than that he seems like a nice guy and has worked really hard to get to NHL.

I’m glad the Habs are facing some adversity. Winning against weaker teams can hide serious flaws. You can’t fix it if you don’t know what the problem is. The Habs’ brass should now have a better idea of what they have and don’t have.

I am really excited about how Beaulieu is playing. If he is ready for the NHL, that plugs a serious hole in the roster now and for the future. Finding top four defensemen is not easy, so lets hope he’s seen the last of Hamilton.

“Given up 44 goals in last 12 games” How many have we frikkin scored in the last 12? Also how many good punch ups have we had in the last 12 games? These guys are sleep walking. The coach likes their effort?

On the previous thread you mentioned that you’re comfortable with a top four of Subban, Markov, Gorges and Emelin. You also stated, I’m paraphrasing, that you have confidence in Gorges.

I don’t know my friend. Subban is dynamite, no issue there. The other three, I’m not so sure?

Markov is often getting caught flat footed at the opposing teams end and blown past in the neutral zone. He’s getting blown past at the Habs blue line. He’s OK in front of Price at best. He’s great on the PP but average to weak everywhere else. He has the ability to be a game breaker on several occasions a season but does that outweigh all his weaknesses?

When Gorges came to the Habs with a 1st rounder for Rivet years ago people confused getting a player back that could play with an outstanding defensive defenceman. He’s had his moments playing with Gill but aside from that, not so much. He has had some BRUTAL games the last few season, especially in the playoffs last year. It’s been plain ugly out there for him this year on many nights as well. He’s a 6th or maybe a 5th defenceman on a good team.

Emelin arrived on the scene and threw some sensational open ice hits. I love when he does that. However, his defence was questioned from the start. Those hits along the boards and in the neutral zone are nice but he’ nowhere to be found around the net! On top of it, he hasn’t regained his stride from last year.

The defence as a group is simply too small. Emelin is 6’2′ and Gorges is very generously listed at 6’1″ but looks more like 5’11”. Murray is big but he’s a spare part. Tinordi, Beaulieu and hopefully Pateryn can’t become regulars soon enough. We desperately need some BIG guys back there who are mobile and also a bit nasty!

At the moment it’s open season in front of Carey Price because our defence is too feeble to stop a junior team!

Pleks is one of the smartest, hardest working, consistent and best two-way players in the league, and one of our leading point getters and best penalty-killers, who will generate even more offence when given talented line-mates.

Now, in a trade, who or what in the world could we possibly get that would be better than Pleks? Why does trading Pleks even enter the heads of some habs fans?

Hello HIOers, I need to buy 4 tickets for tonight’s game because I have some family visiting who would like to see their first ever hockey game in Montreal. Other than the scalpers before the game, where do you suggest is the best place to purchase some cheap tickets. I don’t mind the nose bleeds at all.
Also, who is the injured player on that photo?

I really dont see that many more goals to be scored by the forwards on this roster…Plecks on his way to one of his better goal scoring seasons..MaxPac on his way to 30 plus..Gallagher and Galchenyuk 20 goal pace(before G injured)…Briere and Gion based on experience will get you 12-14 goals but otherwise they are shadows of the players they were…DD 12-14 goals(not a goal scorer)…Eller will get his 16-18 goals…Moen,Pust,White,Parros minimal to no scoring abilities..The only player that more was expected is Bourque…So really this roster has not much more scoring talent than what it has produced…

I’m glad the team is facing some adversity. Winning against weaker teams can sometimes mask serious flaws. The Habs have a chance now to identify weaknesses and get it sorted out in time for the playoffs. Trades, waivers, promotions, whatever it takes. You can’t fix it if you don’t know what the problem is, and the Habs’ braintrust should have a better idea now of what they have and don’t have.

I am very excited about the play of Nate Beaulieu. With good young prospects, you never know if you have the next PK Subban or the next Chris Campoli, the next Fischer or the next McDonagh. Beaulieu is not yet at Subban’s level, but it is looking more promising than ever that he can be a bonafide top four guy, with potential to be a top two guy. That’s huge for the team going forward, one less hole on the roster to fill. And finding top four defensemen is really tough.

I say they should keep increasing his minutes to see what he can do. I hope he has seen the last of Hamilton.

I would not re-sign Markov either. And floated the idea earlier in the year that they should divest themselves of his contract at the deadline ( notwithstanding the fact there is really nothing left to pay) . Nothing against him but I would turn the page. I would trade him for an upgrade up front and a couple of prospects.

There are other assets the Habs would do well to part with too. Maybe even Pleky,DD,Briere,Gio, Patches ( maybe keep him around but see what you can get).

This team really needs a makeover if they plan to move forward.

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You are entitled to your opinion even if you are wrong.

Agree. I`ve been saying it for a while. They should trade Markov. He wants a four year extension and there`s no way they can do that. He`s already starting to slow down imagine in 2 or 3 years it`ll be another contract we can`t wait to get rid of.

I hope Hickey is wrong, but he has a much better knowledge of the day to day operation then I have. I just hope this isn’t based on some sort of inside information. Resigning Markov and not moving him for an asset would be a major mistake. There is nothing about Markov’s play since the Chicago game that would suggest he couldn’t be replaced by Beaulieu next year. If anything, I’m hoping Beaulieu continues to excel, making Markov expendable. This all coming from one of the biggest Markov fans. I simply recognize that he has limited upside and could net a coveted piece of the puzzle going forward.

It will be interesting to see what will happen as we slip out of the playoffs, which is coming soon to an arena near you.

Pleks is absolutely our best trade asset other than the sacred few. He could net us a very good prospect plus a #1 draft choice. I say “could” and not “should” because I am not convinced that teams will load up this year.

Anyway, I predict that both Markov and Diaz will be re-signed. Sadly, I am not so sure about PK. I think the Habs would love to let him waltz away, should they find the right dance partner.

old bald bird
you are nuts if you think the habs would let pk “waltz” way. he is the only true star we have and has many years ahead of him with the CH on his chest. i don’t know what you are drinking my friend but that will never happen

Would have been good I agree. But I don’t think the Caps will take on a rental since they are unlikely for the playoffs, and I heard they are trying to move Mike Green. Usually teams wait till the deadline to max the value of their assets, with Markov sooner may be better.

One must not close any door if it means improving the squad.
There are many points to think about.
Although he still is very precious to the Habs , does he make a difference ?
Do we want to turn the page and move on to bigger and better things ?
Are we ready to pay the price for real improvements?
Do we expect to get a first class player against a Diaz or a Moen or even both ?
How will the d-squad look if we let Markov go ?

Worst case scenario would be to keep everyone because we are comfortable with them …

or fired. Big loss tonight and MB may have to make a change. I don’t see how MT has lost the dressing room as we have 3 new players from last year and rookies don’t tell coach’s how to coach or it’s back to the Dog’s.
Don’t want to bring it up but perhaps the rift between PK and MT has caused division in the dressing room and this puts MB in a very difficult place. Fire the coach due to problems between him and one of your top 2 players? What if MB fires MT then PK does not get along with the next coach (just thinking out loud), fire him also? PK is a great player and will get better and will be worth the money he receives in his next contract, but at what cost to the team when he’s not on the ice.

PK still has upside; MT does not. MT’s behavior on L’Antichambre on his constant crusade against Subban shows he was predisposed to disliking him. You build a team around your superstars, not the other way around. If Therrien can’t see that, time to go. Well, it’s time to go anyway

Not disagreeing with you as you pointed out about MT. MB will have a long night ahead of him if the Habs get blown out tonight. Also MT’s answers are sounding like Noel’s were in Winnipeg just before the axe fell.

PK storey yesterday not spoken about. Another terrible loss and nobody shows up to even repeat the same old cliches , bounces not going our way , tough way to lose ,

Sometimes things need to hit rock bottom before you can start moving forward. This is where I think the team is. Almost wishing for a lose tonight to add a lot more fuel to the fire. Chances are tomorrow is already a scheduled day off.